Secret to living up to 100 years of age!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Who doesn't want to live a long and healthy life? This is one desire that almost everyone has but don't exactly express it too often. Why, you may ask? Because life, as they say, is unpredictable.

However, the secret to finding out about your longevity is finally out!

A new research has revealed that gene variants linked to cell senescence or biological ageing, autoimmunity, and Alzheimer’s disease play an important role in determining whether we would live over 100 years or not.

The results of the study indicate that several disease variants may be absent in centenarians versus the general population.

To find the longevity genes, Kristen Fortney from Stanford University, and colleagues first derived a new statistical method (termed ‘informed GWAS’) that takes advantage of knowledge from 14 diseases to narrow the search genes associated with longevity.  Using iGWAS, the scientists found the longevity genes associated with physiological mechanisms for successful ageing. 

The incidence of nearly all diseases increases with age, so understanding genetic factors for successful ageing could have a large impact on health, the researchers said. The findings appeared in the journal PLOS Genetics.

(With IANS inputs)